Twinkling Lights
by seaweedbrainrulerofpancakes
Summary: Starfire has just been left broken by the man who was supposed to love her for all eternity. Robin is simply to bound by duty to give her what she needs. She can argue with him no more, not when her entire world is crumbling around her. But maybe, just maybe, a certain masked figure can help heal her broken heart.


**Let me know what you guys think and what I need to work on.**

 **I do not own Teen Titans nor any of its characters.**

 _"_ _One of the hardest parts of life is deciding whether to walk away or try harder_ _"_ \- Ziad K. Abdelnour

It is one of those feelings that no one ever wishes to experience. That in which it feels as if the world is crumbling around a person while the only thing they can do is stand by and watch. One can neither interfere and stop the destruction or fast forward it so that the rebuilding can begin. It is a feeling in which one feels no hope, and no chance for inner peace.

Starfire had not felt this hopeless since the time she was sold by her sister and enslaved. For our dear hero, our Starfire, had just received the hero speech from Robin. The speech in which he tells her that they cannot be a couple. It is their job to protect the people of Jump City, and not to be distracted by each other. The kiss in Japan was a mistake. It could never be repeated. Starfire did not hear the rest, as she ran out before he could continue his explanation, each of his words cutting like a knife. Perhaps she should have stayed, argued even. Yet she could not even begin to say the words her heart yearned to let out.

She had thought they had gotten past this. She had thought that he would finally give in to what they both knew they deserved. Yes, the people of Jump need protection, but so do their hearts. Even heroes deserve to love and be loved by their one beloved.

Do not misunderstand. Starfire realizes that her predicament with the Gordanians was much worse than a silly little heart break. The Titans gave her a home, however, and that home had just been threatened with Robin's confession. Tears streamed down Starfire's face as she made her to her room, unable to even fathom an appropriate response. She ran past a confused Cyborg and a baffled Beast Boy.

Cyborg made an attempt, "Starfire what's wro-"

They were met with the slam of a door and barely heard sniffles as a response. The two wanted to help their friend but there was not much they could do without context. They continued on their path to the thrown room, lighting up upon seeing Robin. Maybe he could explain what was troubling their usually bright friend. When they asked the boy wonder, however, they were met with a brief glance and a

"Not sure" as he stalked away, muscles tense with sadness.

"That's strange" muttered Beast Boy as he and Cyborg watched in apprehension.

The pair then traveled to the mall in hopes of finding something that would cheer their red-headed friend up, hoping that that would then also make their leader happy again. Little did they know that the blur of red hair running past they had seen just moments prior would be the last they would see of their Starfire for a little while.

As the pair headed to the mall a certain empath was trying to meditate. She was unfortunately disrupted by all the negative energy filling the tower. She got up and made to get her book when she was stopped by a knock on the door.

"Yes" her scratchy voice replied.

"Can, can I please come in Raven? I… I need a friend" came Starfire's voice, weak and full of pain.

Raven, having never heard her bubbly friend so upset opened the door and enveloped the red head in a hug. Both were surprised by the action, but neither was opposed to staying like that. Raven led her distraught friend to the couch and asked her to explain what is wrong. Starfire explained, only interrupted by her own hiccups that were the result of all her tears.

"Do- do I just let him the go? I mean, is it not the unfair? That he gets to – hiccup – decide for the both of us whether we stay the together?"

Raven, angry at the boy wonder for being such an idiot could only tell Starfire "NO!"

Seeing her friend flinch away, Raven continued in a softer tone, "You two have been through too much and have spent too long trying to stay apart for his thick-headedness to get in the way now. Go to him and talk it out. I'm sure he'll listen."

Starfire tried her luck and hugged her sister in everything but blood again, slipping out a "thank you" as she let go and headed to the door to knock some sense back into her Robin. Raven watched with a smile as Starfire left, feeling closer to her friend than she ever had before. Sure, she may be overwhelmingly happy most of the time and a bit too much to handle, but Raven would not have it any other way. After all, having such a caring, strong, kind girl for a friend could only be rare, and Raven was going to soak in every interaction, because she finally knew what it feels like to have a sister.

Raven tried mediating once more, but as once again interrupted by negative energy, and screaming… Lot's of screaming. She worried for her two teammates relationship, especially Starfire. Being the most emotional of the entire team, Starfire may not handle this much rejection in one day.

Starfire could only feel pain as she was turned away the second time that day. She and Robin had found themselves in a screaming match trying to make the other understand what they could not see.

"Please... We can make it work!... I… I love you" she begged him.

"Star… we just can't" her best friend replied as he nudged her into the hallway and shut the door. She turned around, pressing her back against the door and slid down to the ground. She could not understand why she was hurting so much, and why Robin seemed so unaffected by this change in their relationship.

Unbeknownst to her, Robin was on the other side of the door wondering if he made the right decision.

After what felt like an eternity Starfire found herself hole up in her room for the second time that day.

"Starfire, are you okay?" It was Raven who spoke, worried after hearing the yells.

"Please friend Raven. I am the okay. I just want a little time to myself. I'll be out soon"

"Okay.. if you are sure. But let me know if you need anything. I'll be in my room. You do not have to go through this alone."

Raven took the silence as an answer and retired to her room.

Starfire, curled up in a little ball, laid on her bed petting her beloved Silkie and wondering what she did wrong. She had tried to reason with Robin, to make him see that they could work. But you cannot make someone that wishes to remain blind see the world. Deciding that she needed to be out of the tower for a little while she opened the window and flew out. What she had not predicted, however, was her quick decent to the ground. Without happy thoughts to keep her up, she started her parallel towards the ground, and was able to conjure up enough happy emotion to cushion herself at the bottom just before reaching the ground. A walk would do her good anyways, she decided.

From the top of another building, a masked figure kept an eye on her as she began to walk. He noticed her as he was on his way to perform a heist on the tower; 'a little detour won't hurt' he thought.

Beast Boy and Cyborg had just returned from their trip to the mall and were excited to show Starfire the mustard and outfit they had bought her. One can only imagine their surprise then, when they went into her room to find her communicator on the side table and curtains streaming in the air due to the window being wide open. They searched the rest of the tower and came up empty.

They rounded up Raven and Robin and asked if either of them had seen the alien. Their eyes became wide as they realized no one knew where she was and Robin started desperately issuing out orders on what part of the town each team member would cover.

When they came back emptyhanded Raven turned on their leader enraged, "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! If you had just told her that you could be together this would not have happened! You caused this!"

She only stopped screaming when she felt Beast Boy lay a hand on her shoulder. Raven stormed off feeling miserable and incredibly angry at her leader. But not as angry as she felt with herself. She should have forced her way into Starfire's room when she went to check on her. Gave her a shoulder to cry on and help her through her heartbreak better. Most of all, Raven should not have pushed her friend to try and patch things up with Robin. It only led to the disappearance of her sister.

Robin was going through an incredible turmoil as Raven stormed off. She was right of course. It was his fault their star was out of the tower in the first place. If he had just given her what she wanted, they would all be a lot happier right now. But she was gone and he could see it in his friends' eyes. They were all upset with him. Robin accepted this anger. He deserved it.

But he was only trying to do what was best for the city. Or maybe… maybe he was scared. Maybe he was too afraid to see where their story would end. Maybe it had nothing to do with their duty after all.

"Why'd you have to hurt her dude? What has she done to you? All she did was fall for a jerk like you!" Beast Boy choked out as he stormed off before he said anything more hurtful.

"We'll find her man" Cyborg tried to comfort his crestfallen leader. He continued, "She's a tough one. She can handler herself out there"

"It's all my fault" Robin managed to squeak out.

"Yes, it is" Cyborg couldn't help but let slip out. "But we're going to find her and you're going to fix your mistake"

Cyborg then gave one last pat on Robin's shoulder before turning around to go to his room and grieve in his own manners alone.

Robin managed to make it back to his own room plagued by thoughts of what could be happening to Starfire and how it was all his fault.

Red X continued following the red head on her path, making sure no harm would come to her as her senses were clearly a little off. He noticed her inability to fly as she came crashing down from the tower, and would have used his belt to save her had she not managed to cushion her fall in time.

He could not explain his fascination with her. Why he would seek her out in his fights against boy wonder. Why he thought she was the prettiest being he had ever laid eyes on. It was all a mystery to him. What he did know? He was too intrigued to let her continue on her path without company, even if that company was just a shadow. So he followed

" _As Fate would have it, he's her hero and she's his princess_ " – Unknown

 **Thank you for reading so far. Not sure when the next update will be. Just a start to the story, and a lead into it before Starfire and Red X cross paths. I am excited to write this and hope to get some feedback as far as how to improve.**


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